With so many options at every step – for work, friends, relationships, learning, entertainment – it can be draining to figure out what the best choices are.

Josh Garofalo shares how he set up a personal system to achieve clarity, focus, and growth.
As a fellow freelancer, Josh also talks about the creativity, continuous learning, and discipline required to thrive in this exponentially developing space.

Listen to this episode to learn:

  • The value of contexts where you can make an exponential (instead of an incremental) impact
  • How to avoid high-risk decisions by making small, strategic decisions
  • Ways to manage the impact of social media on your own happiness and productivity
  • How to accelerate self-growth with personal experiments
  • The compound interest of lifelong learning

A few ideas that stuck with me:

  • Choosing a niche – as freelancers, we tend to chase every job in our field and get our hands on as many projects as we can. However, choosing a specialty and finding projects within that niche can – more often than not – give us the advantage we need to thrive in this world. This is a great piece of advice that many freelancers know but very few implement.
  • Tiny hops versus big leaps – when it comes to business, creating a long-term strategy brings greater benefits than thinking short-term. When we have the big picture in place, it’s important to take small steps toward our vision and not rush into making big decisions. The compound effect of these tiny hops and changes, done over a long period of time, can offer a safe space for us to evolve.
  • Keep learning when everyone else has stopped – being curious is a trait that a lot of us have, but sometimes we get lost in the adulthood trap, becoming too busy to feed our curiosities. Learning new things, studying not necessarily knowing exactly how it’s going to contribute to our life, may give us the edge in unexpected ways.

When it comes to business, the decisions are always small and very methodical. I would call them little tiny hops, versus big leaps. [30:24 – 30:34]

About Josh Garofalo:

Josh is a SaaS Copywriter and the founder of Sway Copy.

He began writing copy for a B2B SaaS startup and that inspired him to start a career as a freelancer and choosing this particular niche.

He helped clients such as HubSpot or AWeber get more leads and sales. Josh’s main focus is to deliver great value in as little time as possible.

Key discussion points:

01:54 – What Josh turns his attention to, business-wise, at the moment
05:20 – Josh’s background in freelancing
09:14 – Choosing a niche in your field can separate you from the crowd
15:08 – The importance of learning statistics and doing academic research
25:41 – A cheat code to be more efficient in delivering a great project
33:18 – Making and breaking habits – be careful where you get your dopamine rush from
44:35 – Finding the balance between gratitude for what you have right now and being ambitious about your future plans
49:03 – Consistency is one of the key habits that helps people thrive
52:24 – Josh’s energy sources

Connect with Josh:

Resources mentioned in the episode:

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